Back to Hogwarts
by RoxieLupin
Summary: Set during PoA. Tonks is hired by the Ministry of Magic to impersonate a third year Hogwarts student in order to protect Harry Potter from the escaped prisoner Sirius Black. That's how she will meet for the first time Remus Lupin, the new DADA teacher.
1. Detention at the MoM: Tonks

**Back to Hogwarts**

_This is my first fanfiction ever. I'm very excited about it and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It features Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks as main characters and it begins the summer before _Prisoner of Azkaban, _the night Sirius escapes. However, I didn't change the time line. Tonks is beginning her third year of auror training. I already have at least ten chapters planned and even sequels. But let's begin with the first chapter._

Chapter One: Detention at the Ministry: Tonks

Nymphadora Tonks was sitting in a crowded muggle bar, trying to hear what her companion, a guy with whom she had been set up by her supposedly best-friend, was telling her. She was... well... at that precise moment, her hair was a vivid shade of purple and falling behind her back in long supple locks, more wavy than curly, and her eyes were brown. However, she had spent the day sporting turquoise hair just to annoy some prat she was in training with who commented on her "unconventional attire". When she wasn't feeling like showing-off, she usually simply wore her hair light brown and her eyes blue. All those changes in her appearance were possible because of her special power: she was a metamorphmagus. That ability to change her looks at will was a blessing for Tonks, as she prefered to be called, because she was going to be an auror. At least, that's what she wanted to do even if a small voice in her head was very often bothering her and reminding her there was still stealth and tracking to pass. Most of the time she was trying not to think too much about it and hoping that her "special skill" would compensate. For example, although she was rather small when in her natural appearance, she usually grew herself taller in order to be more imposing, something that was often handy while working on the field.

"I've never seen hair that colour," said Matt, her annoying date.

He wasn't alone in that case. Many people in the bar were gazing at her and her somewhat pleasantly shocking hairstyle. But Tonks was used to it. One could even say that she was encouraging all that attention. It was her way of looking self-confident and thus impervious to any disaster she could cause, for disasters were desesperately quick to happen when she was in the area. She knocked things down, bumped into people or hurted herself with perfectly safe objects all the time.

She was searching an appropritate answer to such an obvious and useless statement when the young man added:

"And long nice hair it is. I don't like girls who cut them short. That makes them look so unfeminine."

She glared at him. She wasn't even sure why she was still making efforts to hear him over the music. Some part of her was probably still a bit hopeful that she could get along with him. Despite all the protestations she made to her friends that played the match-makers, she was sometimes feeling a bit lonely. Even though she wasn't the usual type of the romantic girl, she wanted to fall in love and not merely "find a boyfriend". However, she was working hard in training and being an auror was a demanding job. For the moment, she needed to stay focussed on her work, at least to get through the first five years.

Matt raised his hand and touched her hair. She fought the urge to shorten them swiftly just so she could laugh at the look on his face but she knew better than to show-off with her magic in front of a muggle, as dim-witted as he seemed be. Instead she began to scan with her eyes the dancing floor that was lightened by flashes of blue and red lights in search for her friend. She caught the eyes of the tall blond girl who was still dancing happily with her boyfriend and threw her a desesperated look. She saw her telling something to the man dancing with her and they made their way slowly to the table.

"So why aren't you two dancing," Susan asked them loudly in order to be heard over the music.

"Nymphadora was a bit tired," answered Matt setting his hand on Tonks' knee.

She pushed his hand away and threw him her most despising look. He didn't seem to get the hint though. He smiled at her and began to chat with Sue's companion.

Her friend looked at her with a knowing smile. She wasn't surprised by Tonks' reaction. In fact, Matt was a friend of her own boyfriend who had insisted that she tried to set him up with Tonks.

"Since when have you ever been tired of dancing Tonks?"

"Well, I was tired of trying to remove his hands off my backside."

Sue giggled. "He finds you attractive."

Tonks glared. "He calls me Nymphadora."

"That's your name."

She sighted.

"Come on, he's a nice guy, you should give him a chance. I admit that he isn't the most subtle man but maybe if you knew him more..."

"I'm not interested and I would appreciate if you told Ralph to stop trying..." she stopped mid- sentence. The silver bracelet she was wearing was suddenly growing hot. She was surprised by the intensity of the heat; it almost hurted her. But of course it hurted: it was designed to warn its bearer discreetly but with enough strength to wake that person up if necessary.

"I'm sorry I have to go," she announced, standing up and grabing her jacket and purse.

"W-what? Why? Please Tonks, what am I suppose to tell him. Where are you going so suddenly?"

"I've got an... er... emergency. It just came back to my mind that I had something to do. Make my apologies please." With that she swiftly made her way for the exit. She was feeling a bit guilty. She knew her friend would be very angry with her for leaving that way but her friend was a muggle. She didn't even know that a thing such as the Ministry of Magic existed. She just couldn't tell her that she had been summoned by the magical law enforcement department for which she worked as an auror trainee. She would have to make up an excuse later to explain her sudden departure.

When she arrived at the threshold, she bumped violently against a man that was coming in, lost her balance and hit her head against the door frame. She apologised quickly but did not stop to check on him. So much for a dignified departure! But she didn't care. Adrenalin was already running high in her blood and her heart was pounding faster than usual. She was nervous. That was the first time she was called for an emergency at the Ministry of Magic since she had received her bracelet, a month ago, at the end of her second year of training. Something serious ought to have happened if the Ministry needed the help the third-years. As far as she knew, those bracelet were simply a precaution. Trainees had never been called in the last ten years.

Tonks walked a few metres away from the entrance of the bar, took a quick look around and apparated directly in the attrium of the Ministry of Magic. Unlucky as she was, she apparated directly in the way of a wizard but he simply stepped aside and continue as quickly without saying anything. She looked around while she was leaving in haste the apparition area. Everybody seemed serious and worried. Just the fact that all those workers were there at all, on a Saturday at two o'clock in the morning, meant a lot about the seriousness of the situation. She caught a glimpse of a small group of dementors. She felt cold sweat drenching her back. She had met dementors before as they were employed, just like her, by the magical law enforcement department to guard the wizarding prison, Azkaban. She had even learned what she had to do to fight them, but she had never practiced her defence on a real dementor. The ministry could hardly ask them to come and help the auror practicing how to fight them. Tonks wondered what they were doing there. Has some dark wizard been caught and where they there to escort him to that awful prison? She shivered and began to make her way to the elevators.

She soon noticed that the small group of wizards and witches that were waiting for the elevator were throwing nervous glances at her. They obviously were trying not to stare as much as they wanted to. She stopped in front of them and they were looking everywhere but at her. She was a bit mystified by that peculiar behaviour. Was it her outfit that was shocking them? She was still sporting a black miniskirt and even though long boots were covering her legs, there was still a long strech of white skin on her tights that was exposed. She also wore a low-cut top that could be seen in the opening of her jacket. Wizard society was always a bit more conservative than muggle society. Although it wasn't her fault if the Ministry summoned her the night she was going out with some muggle friends, she wished she would have the time to stop at her office to change into her auror robes.

The doors of the elevator opened and the young woman followed the group in the cage. Just before the doors started to close again, three wizards appeared and entered in the elevator whose walls streched swiftly to make place for the newcomers. They weren't any ordinary newcomers though. The oldest one was Albus Dumbledore. Although some older wizards of the group greeted him, Tonks was intimidated. Even if he has been her headmaster all the seven years she spent at Hogwarts, she had never talked to him directly before and she was impressed to be in his presence. He was such a powerful wizard! The wizard beside Dumbledore made for her.

"Good morning Tonks," said the tall and well built wizard. His skin was dark and his head shaved. It was Kingsley Shacklebolt who was also working at the auror headquarters. He was talented and the rumor said that he was the next to be promoted, even if he was in fact only a few years older than her. She had worked with him in a few occasions, when trainees were matched with fully-trained aurors to get some experience on the field. They were getting along very well. The third man was Josh, that trainee she annoyed all day with her display of turquoise hair. Obviously, he didn't think wrong of her "attire" when it was showing some skin. He nodded to her.

"Hello Kingsley! Do you have any idea of what's going on?" said Tonks, trying to hide both her nervosity about the events that led them all in that elevator that morning and her exasperation at being looked at by Josh as if she was a piece of meat.

"You're to be told soon enough," answered Kingsley calmly.

Usually, she wouldn't have think anything wrong of that answer. Kingsley was higher than her and she still wasn't an auror. He didn't have to tell her what was going on if he didn't want to. However, she noticed that Josh had widened his eyes slightly in surprise. It lasted just a fleeting moment but Tonks was observative and she knew, by his reaction, that something wrong was going on and they were hiding it from her. But she knew better than to ask. If they were hidding something from her, they wouldn't tell only because she asked and she had more chance of overhearing something if people weren't suspicious that she knew that information was hidden from her.

She caught the headmaster's eyes and he was observing her attentively. She fidgeted slightly under his gaze and he nodded to her. She could tell by the small twinkle in his eyes that he knew what she was thinking and he obviously was founding her funny.

She was relieved when the elevator doors opened and the three men stepped out of it followed closely by Tonks. However, a few seconds later, she felt someone touching her shoulder to get her attention. A young man, also an auror, coughed a bit to clear his voice.

"Tonks, you have to come with me."

"Why?"

"Because those are the orders."

She rolled her eyes. Some people on the story, that were standing near the elevator's doors were looking at her. She knew better than to make a scene, although she was begining to feel angry that nobody was telling her anything when there was obviously something concerning her that had happened. She followed the auror through a narrow corridor until they reached an ugly and depressing waiting room.

"Couldn't you just tell me what all of this mean?"

"I'm sorry Tonks. You'll know soon enough." He looked very uncomfortable.

"Where are the other third-years?"

"They have been assigned something to do in the light of what happened tonight. But not you. You're to wait here until someone come to fetch you. And don't ask, I can't tell you," he departed, letting her to the care of small wizard whose skin was a strange shade of grey. He smiled at her, showing his ugly yellow teeth and began to watch her legs while she sit on a hard chair. Only now did she notice the throbbing pain on the side of her head, where she had hit her head at the bar.

She sighted. It was going to be a long long night.


	2. Detention at the MoM: Remus

Chapter 2: Detention at the Ministry: Remus

Remus walked in the ugly waiting room. In most of the Ministry of Magic rooms, spells were set on the walls to mimic windows and provide something approaching natural light, but there was none of those there. The room was rather small and the walls were covered with a greenish wallpaper on which flowers where moving faintly under the effect of an invisible wind. Obviously, it was so old that the spell was wearing off. The floor was made of dark brown wood with many worn patches and there wasn't any fireplace. In the middle of the area, two rows of yellowish and uncomfortable looking chairs were aligned, separated by a table on which old magazines were messily lying for the waiting people to read. Over the table, hanged to the ceiling was an old candelabra that seemed ready to fall as soon as some careless wizard decided to stand or walk under it. Fortunately, the table was there to prevent such an occurence. There was a strange odour in the air as if some incense has been used to cover the usual mothball odour of a room not provided with enough ventilation. That was making Remus feeling a bit sick. It was only two days after the full moon and his senses were still unusually sharp. He was tired and feeling more shabby than ever.

But for the creepy wizard who was supposed to oversee the waiting people instead of watching naked witches waving and smiling at him in a magazine, the only other person sitting in the room was a girl. She was dressed rather lightly, even for a summer night (being under the ground, the Ministry of Magic offices were always rather cold and clammy). He wouldn't have known that she was a witch if it wasn't for the fact that she was at the Ministry of Magic and for her bright purple hair. No muggle potions could produce such a vivid shade of purple in one's hair. It couldn't be anything else than a brilliant work of transfiguration! She was also wearing a proper muggle outfit. Wizards and witches were often wearing muggle clothes but were always recognizable from real muggles whether because the clothes were old-fashioned or ill-matched. But the girl in front of him was sexy and fashionable even according to muggle standards. He couldn't help but notice the pale skin of her tights that were uncovered by her short skirt. She was sitting without moving, eyes closed. He sat in front of her, wondering if she was asleep. She had a bruise on the side of her head. He wondered what she was doing here. In fact, he also wondered what he was doing here.

He was quietly working on a translation at his flat when he heard someone banging at his door. He usually didn't work that late in the night, especially so soon after the full-moon, but he had taken on two translation contracts with extremely short time limits as he really couldn't refuse the extra money. Not that it would make him a lot wealthier that he was now. The man that employed him knew about Remus' "condition" and thus that he could hardly refuse the contracts even if offered very low wages. His settlement with his employer was slightly illegal. The rules to be entitled to hire a werewolf were so numerous and complicated that very few people would be willing to suffer all that trouble for his sake. Remus was used to it. It has been like that for years now and things wouldn't change easily. The man was working hard to earn the money he needed to live and was spending his spare time on researches on werewolves and other magical creatures.

Hearing the banging made Remus feeling a bit worried. It was around 2 o'clock in the morning. Who could be calling on him at that hour? He grabbed his wand and walked to the door. When he opened it, he had just the time to register the fact that three man in auror robes were standing on his doormat before feeling his wand fly out of his hand. The wizard who casted the non-verbal spell captured his wand swiftly as the three men entered the flat without waiting to be invited.

"Are you Remus J. Lupin, lycanthrope #423, born on March 10th, 1959?" asked a bald man that seemed to be the oldest of the three.

Usually, Remus would have protested at their entrance. He was merely working in his home and he had done nothing that deserved such rudeness. However, by using that expression, "Lycanthrope #423", the auror was setting the terms of the interview. Werewolves had very few rights when dealing with the Ministry and the auror was telling him that he could easily use law to his advantage if Remus refused to cooperate. They could take his possessions away or bring him by force. This would only be seen by public opinion as necesary precaution against a dark and dangerous creature.

"I am," he answered, tightening his jaw.

"What are you doing still awake at this hour of the night?" asked the bald auror suspiciously.

"I'm working. And you, what are doing awake at this hours of the night," asked Remus, imitating the annoying auror whose head was glistening in the candle light.

"We have come to search your home," he answered.

That point was obvious to Remus as the two other aurors were already searching his flat. One of them, who seemed to be not even sixteen years old yet due to the numerous freckles on his nose, was noisily moving furniture in his bedroom and throwing dark magic detection spells everywhere. Remus winced as he heard something crash. The other one, whose mustache was almost as impressive as Horace Slughorn's, was searching in the kitchen, carefully examining the content of his freezer (a wizard freezer had the same purpose than a muggle freezer, but it was merely a box with powerfull freezing charms casted upon). "Really" thought Remus, "what do they think they will find there? A jug of fresh blood or random body parts waiting to be cooked in stew?" During all those operations, he stayed standing in the living room next to the bald auror who was staring at him as if the strenght of his stare could make Remus confess whatever crime he was supposed to have done. He was almost relieved to get rid of those big staring eyes when the freckled auror called from the bedroom and came back in the living room carrying an object. The older auror took the object in his hand, took a look at it and asked:

"Are those really James Potter and Sirius Black?"

Remus wasn't surprised that he knew those names. James was an important character of Harry Potter's mystic history and Sirius Black was still famous to have killed the chubby boy that was also featured on the photo, at the same time than a dozen muggles. Despite the tragic events, Remus had never been able to get rid of that picture.

"Yes," he answered.

"Interesting... we'll bring it with us."

Remus wanted to protest. There was no way they were going to take that picture and loose it in some gruesome office at the Ministry! But he was cut short in his protestations by the arrival of his proprietor, a ghastly old maid with rollers in her hair.

"What is going on?" she asked him.

"I've got no idea Miss Clearwater. You'll have to ask Mr Auror here," answered Remus.

"Mr Lupin is to be brought at the Ministry for questioning, once we searched his flat."

At that moment, the mustache bearing auror entered the lounge with a large cage containing a pale grey animal with four large flat feet. Its bulging eyes were frantically looking at them all. It was obviously very frightened.

"Could you tell us what is that thing Mr Lupin," asked the auror. Remus thought it was a bit rich of him to call the animal "thing" when the auror was himself looking like a hideous mix between a human-being and a walrus. The more he thought of it and the more it seemed to him that it had to be some relative from Slughorn. That could explain how he had suceeded to be accepted as an auror.

"It is a mooncalf" explained Remus, "it's a magical creature that can perform fascinating dances during the full moon, leaving geometric patterns in the wheat fields as a prelude to mat..."

"OK, that's enough," said the bald auror, not wanting to learn more about it than what was strictly necessary.

The search continued for 10 minutes, until the freckled kid announced that nobody else could be found. Remus was surprised at that. Who did they think would be there with him?

The four men finally left for the Ministry, Remus tightly hold by the two younger aurors. He was scared for a moment to be splinched but he arrived in one piece at the Ministry. To his surprise many workers where apparating in and out of the Ministry and the atmosphere was full of agitation.

"What is that? What happened? What are those people doing here at that hour in the night," he asked.

"Don't ask questions and walk", growled one of the aurors.

The only thing Remus could think was that there has been a werewolf attack and they were taking all registered werewolves into custody. But where were the others? Would he be imprisoned with them? The full moon was two days ago. Was it really possible that there has been a werewolf attack? He would have liked to be able to answer no to that question but he knew that some werewolves were living like the beasts the Ministry imagined all the werewolves to be. Some extreme cases, like Fenrir Greyback, were even sporting permanent wolfish features and could hurt someone else severely without needing a full transformation.

While thinking about that possibility as an explanation for the mayhem at the Ministry, he was brought to the elevator, taken to the level two, led through a narrow corridor and given to the care of an ugly wizard with a creepy smile. And there he was, waiting for something to happen, for someone to told him what he was doing there.

He looked at the girl again. She was very pretty. She looked very young also, the way her eyes were closed as if in a deep meditation. He began to make up a story about her. She probably was a pure-blood witch that escaped from her family who wanted to marry her to an old but rich wizard. She escaped with only her wand and flew to Ireland after having summoned a broom. There she began to work in a wizarding hotel. One night, a man hired to search for her found her and tried to capture her. Fortunately, she succeded to escape but he managed to stole her wand. As people were now searching for her, she couldn't bought another wand without being recognized. She found a muggle job in a CD shop where she learned all about muggle music and fell in love with the singer of a rock band. She followed him to London where he wanted to find success. She sneaked in Diagon Alley and got her hair transfigured. However, when she tried to go at Ollivander's to buy a new wand, the old wizard recognized her and owled the aurors who took her wand and arrested her. And there she was, waiting for her pure-blood family to come and bring her back home.

"Not bad" thought Remus. He was happy with his story. That explained the muggle clothes, the purple hair and the custody. Obviously, she received her bruise in the fight with the aurors.

She suddenly opened her eyes and looked directly in his eyes. He was a bit queasy at being caught staring at her. She looked at him attentively from head to toes. He wondered what was the result of her inspection, but she said nothing. Instead she stood and walked to the watch wizard.

"I want to go in my office," she asked imperiously.

Office? Which office? Did she found a work in London while her fiancé was playing the guitar?

"And why would you want to do such a thing?", growled the wizard.

"I'm bored and I want to change my clothes but anywhere else than that supposedly waiting room would be just fine. No wondered prisoner are trying to escape if they are confined to such ugly surroundings!"

Remus smiled. That was indeed the ugliest room he has ever seen.

"Escaped prisoner, eh? I see what you mean" there was a worrisome gleam in his eyes "however you're to stay there until someone come to get you."

Remus didn't like the gleam in his eyes. He wondered what it meant. The girl also seemed to notice it and to be a bit uncomfortable. She asked for a Kingsley something. He didn't know who that person was. Was it her boyfriend? It was a good name for a rock singer.

"Miss Tonks, kindly wait silently or I will be force to write a note about uncooperation in your file." She sighted.

"I know what are my rights and you have to tell me why I've been put into custody without even being told and why I'm into custody."

She turned to Remus and asked him if he had any idea what he was doing here. He nodded negatively. She turned to the wizard again.

"Miss Tonks, surely you know that special measures can be taken by MLE on their employees because of their knowledge of intern affairs of the government and security. I'd like to add that being in the situation you are in could be extremely bad for your career so if I were you I would calmly sit down and shut up until it's time for you to be told."

"And the situation I'm in being...?" she asked once again.

"Go sit down Miss Tonks and let me read in peace."

She took a look at his "reading" material and snorted.

"And him, what his your excuse for keeping him here!"

"Mister is a beast, why would a bloody cannibal have any rights?"

"A werewolf!" he added in answer to her perplexed look.

She snorted and went back to sit in front of Remus. She began to examine him curiously once again. He kept his eyes on her's, nervously wondering what she was thinking. Did she agree with the awful watch wizard that he didn't deserve to have rights?

She tilted to reach one of her boots and he got a full view of the top of her breasts. He looked quickly elsewhere. She didn't have to think he was a pervert on top of being a dark creature. She took her wand in her boot (where else could she have hide it with this outfit?) and raised her head again to look at him. Wait... her wand? Hadn't the aurors taken it during the fight? He growled to himself. All that situation was so surreal and he was tired. He found himself silly to be so surprised that he was wrong about her when all the information he had had been created by his overactive imagination

"Tea?" she asked him quietly.

He was surprised but he nodded and thanked her as tea, cakes and sandwiches appeared on the table. He was touched by her nice gesture. She didn't say anything else though. She was fidgeting and playing with her wand, casting nasty glances at the watch wizard as if she wanted nothing more than to hex him.

Thus they spent the next hour, until they heard sound coming from the corridor. A tall black wizard entered and began to talk.

"Miss Tonks and Mr Lupin. Extraordinary events happened a few hours ago that obliged us to use those necesary precautions althought we are aware of the disagreement it caused to you. I'm sorry to announce you that there has been a break-out in Azkaban during the last few hours. Our information is that Sirius Black escaped, but we still don't know yet how it could have happened. You will both be brought into questioning rooms and I recommend you to answer honestly to every question that will be asked. It is only ordinary procedure to interview people that are close to the convict when events like that happens."

Remus' first reaction was stupefaction. As the truth sank he began to feel numb. Sirius escaped? How was that possible? Why now? He was confused and worried. He had thought that all that story was finished and that he could build a new life for himself free from the past. But his past was once again coming back to disturb him from his quiet life. He heard the girl protesting but nothing she said really registered in his mind while she was led to the opposite side of the corridor than him.


	3. An Official Chat

Chapter 3: An official chat

Tonks was still in a temper when she walked in the parlor. Her face was red and her hair were getting more and more bushier as if electricity was getting out of her furious self by its roots.

"That's totally ridiculous! Why aren't you out there looking for him instead of keeping me here? What a useless loss of time! I..."

"Wotcher Tonks! Calm down girl. Where is your usual bubbly self? There is no reason to get yourself into that state Tonks..." said Josh.

"Don't you wotcher me or I'll charge you copyright fees," she answered, although after that she tried very hard to calm down. It was true that it wasn't like her to go out of her mind. She usually stayed cool and counter-attacked by using a mixture of weird hairstyles and merry disposition. Whenever someone was rude, answering merrily usually did the trick of making them feel uneasy and thus more polite. Whenever someone was getting on her nerves, like Josh, she simply changed her appearance and put an innocent look on her face. It always had the intended effect, but nobody could call her aggressive. They couldn't seriously accuse her of "changing her hair at them". However, this was a very serious business. She knew how the wizarding society put importance in bloodlines and genealogy. Would she be casted away by her colleagues or even sacked from the Ministry for being related to bloody Sirius Black? Just the way everybody was staring at her earlier...

She forced herself to breath-in and to take a look around. The walls were off-white and there wasn't any furniture else than a table and two chairs, one of those being occupied by her fellow auror trainee. It was also unusually quiet. "Probably an imperturbable charm," thought Tonks. She sat down in front of Josh. She was a bit appeased by the fact that it was him who was asking questions. If the situation was really serious, they would have asked a real auror.

"We only have a few questions to ask you Tonks. Like you already know, the aurors' backgrounds are carefully checked before their employment by the Ministry, as well as their personal life during the employment, particularly when it involved undesirable individuals."

"You should start an inquiry on Fudge then. Haven't you heard of his affair with Umbridge?" answered Tonks cheekily.

Josh, who was drinking coffee at that moment, choked and turned red, not aware that at less than two meters away from him, another man was also being strangled by an unwelcoming gulp of beverage.

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"Sounds like your little secret is out in the open Fudge," said a dried and sarcastic voice.

A pair of eyes twinkled.

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"Hem... yeah... I mean no... I didn't" answered Josh nervously, casting furtive glances to the wall on his left-side.

Tonks wondered for a moment whether it was her who never noticed before that he was squinting or if he had some kind of imaginary friend. She nodded slightly in the general direction in which he was looking just in case.

"So you were to ask me some questions..."

"Yes... of course... first of all, can you tell me where you were tonight from 9 o'clock until your arrival to the Ministry?"

"I was first at home, getting ready to go out and then I left around 10 to meet some friends in a muggle bar."

"A muggle bar?"

"A muggle bar!"

"Why?"

"That's what normal young people do on Friday night, isn't it? Getting pissed in a bar until early in the morning and then..."

"Don't try to be funny with me Tonks!" he said with his best auror tone. "I was asking why were you in a muggle bar."

"I was with muggle friends."

"So I suppose nobody could give any proof of that in front of the Wizengamot without breaking the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy? How convenient!"

She glared. If she wasn't so tired she would have changed her hair at him.

"Now can you tell me more about your family?"

"My dad is Ted Tonks and he is a muggle-born. My mother's name before her mariage was Andremeda Black."

"Sirius Black's cousin."

"Yep."

"Can you tell me what is your relation with Black?"

"The first and last time I saw Sirius Black I was five years old and we were eating pickles and fancy hors-d'oeuvres in a posh pure-blood manor. Not the friendliest atmosphere if you see what I mean. He left the family as soon as he turned seventeen and I never attended to any other Black family party, probably because this one time I met the Black clan I, among other things, smashed an expensive chinese vase, turned aunt Elladora's exhibition dog blue with pink streaks and spreaded melted chocolate in the marble staircase. And you know, pure-blood families are all so closely related. Seeing as I'm not a pure-blood, you're probably more related to him than I am anyway!" she pleaded.

"Hmpf..." made the young man.

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"You know Cornelius, I think she got a point there. I can't see why she should be arrested and questioned that way just because she happens to have a cousin who is an escaped murderer. There is no evidence of her being in contact with him since that party. Unless you think he might have planned it all already and told her that time over the plate of pickles..." stated Albus Dumbledore, looking at the girl through the magical wall.

"Yes Fudge, did you have any reason other than scoring points in your beloved's heart by going for her enemy?" added the sarcastic voice

"Her enemy! Come on Rufus, Dolores had nothing personal against the girl. You have to admit though that that girl is a danger for anyone around three metres radius of herself..."

"We all know it has nothing to do with her clumsiness. Dolores put metamorphmagi in the same bunch than werewolves or merpeople. It's just another part of her ill-advised crusade against half-breeds. That and the fact that she is jealous that the girl can turn her hair pink whenever she likes. I won't fire the first metamorphmagus we have on the team in a century just for silly prejudices."

Fudge turned a vivid shade of pink and opened his mouth to reply. However, before he had time to articulate anything, the fourth man, Kingsley Shacklebolt, coughed slightly to clear his voice and said to Dumbledore:

"Actually headmaster I was the one who asked that she was brought here tonight. The questions about her family and his relation with Black are merely a pretext to keep her here and give us some time to discuss. Under the light of tonight's event we feel the necessity of placing an auror in Hogwarts and Miss Tonks is the ideal candidate. Although she is still a trainee, we felt when she began that she needed a special formation because of her immense potential as a spy. She had special courses on acting, spying and disguise and this would be an occasion for her to have some field experience. Impersonating a student would be a good practice for her and it would be extremely useful in our search for Black to have someone in Hogwarts, keeping an eye open for anything suspicious."

"An auror in Hogwarts?" asked Dumbledore.

"Didn't you told him Fudge?" said Scrimgeour, very annoyed.

The minister twitched.

"Well you see Dumbledore, it seems that for some weeks, Black had been agited in his sleep and was saying repetedly things like "He is in Hogwarts." That makes us believe that he might have escaped to come after Harry Potter. As we're all worried for the boy, for his protection, we were planning to put dementors in Hogwarts and along with Miss Tonks, who, by taking the appearance of a Gryffindor student of the same age, could be around him almost all the time without him knowing about it all. That way the child would be safe and we may have a chance to catch Black."

"I rather thought we should tell the boy about the fact that Sirius Black is looking for him Minister. If it can convince him to stay out of harm's way and be more prudent, he would be a lot safer," said Kingsley earnestly.

"We can't afford the risk of telling him. He might tell his classmates and we don't want the wizarding community to be aware of the possibility of Black breaking into Hogwarts. It would create unnecessary mayhem and complicate our job," answered Scrimgeour, the head of the auror head-quarters.

"So you don't think the parents have the right to know the risk of sending their children to Hogwarts this year? Or maybe you want to use Harry as a bait?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Well see there Dumdledore, we have a dangerous murderer to capture. I really think it might be better to keep things quiet just to let the aurors act."

Dumbledore didn't seem happy.

"You are the Minister for Magic Cornelius and it's not for me to tell you what you should do. However, I won't have dementors inside the school grounds but I don't object to the presence of Miss Tonks in the school."

The three other men exchanged glances. They were rather relieved. Dumbledore wasn't one to accept interference in the school's business and until that moment they thought it possible that Dumbledore refuse their plan.

"Now I think it's time for her to say her word about the plan," decided Kingsley.

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When the wall vanished, Tonks, who was rocking on her chair, precariously balanced on two of its legs, was so surprised that she felt backwards. She raised her head to find four faces looking at her from above. Albus Dumbledore, Rufus Scrimgeour, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Cornelius Fudge. "Why?", she thought, "Why did I have to fell so ungracefully just at the moment of my life in which I'm in presence of three of the most powerful wizards of the wizarding world and of gorgeous Kingsley Shacklebolt!" She tried to look casual.

"Wotcher!" she said joyously to them! That was met by twinkling eyes, a warm smile, a sarcastic look and an air of disgust under a bowler hat. "Well, one can't please everybody!" she thought taking Kingsley hand that helped her back up.

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When Dumbledore exited the Ministry of Magic around 6 o'clock he noticed a man walking a bit ahead of him. He recognized him.

"Remus Lupin!" he said happily.

The man turned his head curiously and recognized his former headmaster and chief from the Order of the Phoenix. They haven't met since at least six years and as he shook the headmaster hand, he was happy to have a distraction from the pain and tiredness that resulted from the bad news and long hours of questioning.

Albus Dumbledore examined him and invited him to come and eat breakfast at the Three Broomsticks with him.


	4. Preparation and declaration

Chapter 4: Preparation and declaration

The two weeks following Tonks' hiring had been fully booked with special preparation for her mission. Taking a role for a long stretch of time was much more work than most standard auror interventions. She had tons of things to learn about Sirius Black, Harry Potter and Hogwarts, on top of creating for herself a character and remembering all sorts of tiny details about it: biography, personality, tastes and distastes, physical appareance up to each mole or scar, etc. Kingsley Shacklebolt who was in charge of the search for Black, and thus one of the very few people to know about that plan, was constantly trying to test her and to make changes to her cover, sometimes even woking her up in the middle of the night for a special meeting.

All that was nothing though compared to another side of her assignment. Attending to Hogwarts was a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week occupation and nobody knew how much time it would take to capture Sirius Black. There was a real possibility that she would have to stay under cover for the entire school year, spending all her time with a bunch of 13 year-olds, attending classes and having exams. She would have to stick to her character all the time and always be careful to avoid any mistake that could betray her identity. She couldn't even bring with her whatever she wanted. Her trunk had been examined and arranged so she could keep nothing that a 13 year-old wouldn't have, not even her favorite lacy pink bra. As Fudge and Scrimgeour absolutely wanted to keep all that business about Black looking for Harry Potter quiet, she couldn't even tell her parents, friends and collegues. This meant that she had to make up a story about a training in some foreign country, suffer her mother's protestations and make arrangements about her flat.

Tonks wasn't complaining though. It was a real blessing for her career. She still hadn't begun her mission and she, under some aspects, was already a few steps higher than any third-year trainee had ever been. She had indeed received a new silver bracelet. Third-year bracelets were plain but that one had an elegant entrelaced design and a small bluish opal embedded in the center. Those were for aurors assigned to important cases. It would burn her too in case of emergency but the opal would change to indicate her whether or not she was needed and what kind of alert it was. It had already informed her that something had happened the night Harry Potter left his aunt and uncle's house, although she didn't have to go at the Ministry. It would have looked suspicious if she had known about that. Fortunately the boy arrived in one piece to the Leaky Cauldron and his extempore stay at the famous inn provided her a great occasion to talk to him for the first time, without having his friends, Ron and Hermione, with him to make things harder.

To her great disappointment, things didn't go very well. She was excited to meet him for the first time and Kingsley decided that this was the most natural reaction to have, the one he was used to receive, and thus that she was better not to hide it. This was a bit of a mistake. She chatted a few minutes with him over a sunday at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlor and received a rather reserved reaction. He was polite but obviously uneasy about being recognized by a stranger and seen as a special phenomenon. She would have more trouble to enter his circle and become his friend than what she had envisioned first.

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One week before the beginning of the term, Tonks put on her brand new Gryffindor robes, morphed into what would be her appearance for the few next months and apparated right in front of the gates of Hogwarts' grounds. Of course, the wrought iron grills were locked. However, the spaces between the bars were large enough to let her head pass. She morphed the rest of her body slimer, her shoulders narrower and slidded between the bars to the other side. She was surprised of how easily she succeded. The dementors weren't there yet and aurors were patrolling, passing in front of the gates each 10 minutes. Of course powerful spells had been casted in the surroundings, but she had been trained with the same teachers than them; she easily got through those obstacles. The aurors, not knowing about Black looking for Harry, were obviously not really concerned about the possibility of him being in the surroundings!

She walked slowly to the school. It was the same old Hogwarts she remembered. The difference is that it was unusually calm for such a bright day. Normally, she would have been surrounded by teens, sitting in the sun and chatting with their friends. Once arrived near the entrance, instead of climbing the stairs to the doors, she turned right. She could see Hagrid, very far away, working in his pumpkin patch. She doubted he could see her. She was a lot smaller and thus less easy to be noticed. She didn't even stop to disillusion herself.

At around 20 feet from the entrance doors, she stopped. She examined the wall. According to the secret map of Hogwarts that was in the ministry records, there was an entrance there. She was feeling like a first year in front of the wall behind which was the platform 9 ¾ when she took a deep breath and charged at the brick wall. She felt herself run through it easily, until she bumped violently against something and lost her balance. She heard a violent crash that clattered very loud in the room. "So far for discreetion" she thought. She raised her head and saw an house-elf, almost knockout in the middle of a pile of broken plates. He obviously was passing near that wall when she got accross it.

She was feeling really bad for the poor fellow as quite a few little elves surrounded her and began to apologise, throwing furious look to the still almost unconscious house-elf. They dragged her to a chair and offered her all sorts of things to eat. She took a cup of tea and asked them questions on the people that were visiting the kitchen and those that were using that entrance. They reckoned almost nobody knew about it. She left them 15 minutes later, confident to have gain their friendship. House-elves knew all that was going on in the school. They could be precious sources of information.

She disillusioned herself, knowing how gossiping the portraits could get, and wandered in the school for almost half an hour, checking the ways to the classrooms and particularly to the Gryffindor common room. She had been in Ravenclaw when she attended Hogwarts as a student and she had a little feeling of victory now that she was going to spend so much time in the Gryffindor room. The fashionable game when she was there was to try to sneak into the other common rooms and to cast a spell featuring the color and animal of their house as a sign of victory. Students from the different houses were fiercely keeping their passwords to themselves and it was a dishonor to be the traitor that gave to another house the password! Contrary to what most people would think, the easiest room to get into was Slytherin's. Most Slytherins would give their password away easily, when offered a price high enough. She was one of the only four students that ever succeeded to get into the Gryffindor common room, on all the seven years she attended to Hogwarts. But then people said that it didn't count because is was too easy for her because of her morphing abilities. People were more jealous than appreciative of her special talent. Slytherins in particular liked to mock her, especially when she experienced some troubles with her morphing in her fifth year. The same thing always happened when she was making herself pretty or got a good mark in her best subjet, concealment and disguise. "That's easy when you can just close you eyes and look however you want to look!" But, if she worked well on that mission, people would recognised her dedication and hard-work. Not many aurors would have taken that job, with the risk of being stuck there for many months.

She suddenly got an idea. Why not take a bit of advance this year? And Slytherin would the ideal target to begin with. She made her way to the dungeons, trying to find a spell that could conjure an eagle that would stay in the air for a bit more than a week. While she was thinking about that, she stumbled when her foot hit a paving stone that was a bit uneven and she fell, having just the time to stop her fall with her hands. But she couldn't hold back a small yelp of surprise. She immediately heard footsteps. She huddled against the wall and waited. "Of course" she thought "who else than Snape could stay confine in creepy dungeons in the middle of a bright summer day like an over-grown bat" when she recognised the severe black billowing robes. She was still disillusioned. He walked past her and she thought she was safe but then she felt her muscles freeze. She couldn't move at all. He approached and hit her head with his wand. She felt the usual warm sensation spread from the top of her head to her toes.

"What have we got here? A lost Gryffindor, sneaking in the school, a week before the beginning of the classes."

She couldn't reply. She just looked at him in the eyes and waited. He examined her and then said the counter-curse.

"You're not an Hogwarts student," he accused her.

"I am."

"I am Sir. I never taught you in my classes. I would remember an insolent Gryffindor brat like you."

"Well I'm new. I was in America before."

"I see. Well, your attendance to this school won't have lasted very long I'm afraid. Not even one day of class done and already expelled. That is indeed a record!" He seemed exceedingly happy. No doubt expelling a student would make his day. "Come with me we're going to pay a small visit to your futur former headmaster miss..."

"None of your business, if indeed I'm expelled."

"If? That's rather optimistic. You really think the headmaster likes having students sneaking in the school when the term is yet to begin... and when there are nasty murderers out in the country." He had a strange gleam in the eyes.

Snape led her to Dumbledore's office. That was the first time she went there. She never had any reason to before. She was always taking care of not getting into trouble enough for that. Usually, she was dealing with Flitwick who had a bit of a soft spot for her. When she entered the magnificent office of the headmaster, she looked around curiously. She was impressed by the amount of books and instruments there were.

"Ah Severus! Very nice to see you... And who is that pretty young girl you're bringing to me?" He seemed to x-ray her with his astonishly blue eyes and his smile grew larger after a few seconds.

"She wouldn't tell me her name sir. I caught her disillusioned, sneaking into the dungeons. She says she's a new student."

"Well if I wasn't new, I would know not to wander in such a creepy and depressing part of the school. My name is Emma MacLellan and I attended to Salem Institute of Witchcraft in Boston. But now I moved in England with my father and I'm going to attend to Hogwarts. Don't you know already about that professor?"

"Indeed my dear child. And what were you doing, wandering in the school instead of making the most of this delicious day?"

"I wanted to visit it before the beginning of the term, professor. I was scared I wouldn't be able to find my way to my classrooms next week if I didn't."

"You should have asked someone from the school to make you visit or send an owl before coming."

"Yes sir. I'm really sorry sir."

"So Severus, thank you for bringing her to me. We'll have a cup of tea and I have some question to ask you about professor Wrinklings from the Institute."

Snape wasn't happy at all. He tried to protest but who could make Dumbledore change his mind about something like that? He would only reply to everything happily with a twinkle and a pleasant comment. He still tried.

"Headmaster, I think it is highly suspicious that she was sneaking like that in the castel, disillusioned. Were could she have learn that kind of spell?"

"Professor Wrinklings, sir. She taught us some really advanced spells already. The Salem Institute got one of the most advanced program of studies for charms in the world!"

" Really? I'm highly interested to hear about her methods and program of education. Would you care to join us for a cup of tea Severus?" asked Dumbledore pleasantly.

Snape refused and departed looking in a really bad mood.

"I'm afraid you're going to have Severus on your case now miss Tonks..."

She shrugged. She had survived to seven years of Snape's teaching. That wasn't her bigest concern at the moment. She chatted a bit more with Dumbledore about the security of the school and how she saw her stay at Hogwarts. He invited her to use his fireplace if she wanted to get out sometimes for a few hours. She accepted and went in that precise way.

"Just one week of grown-up freedom now" she thought.

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She was still very busy on the very last week before the beginning of the term. She had to do some work for the auror office so people wouldn't notice that she was working on something else. She spent the rest of her nights with Kingsley, when he wasn't called at the ministry for some Black related issue, to make the final preparations. He made her study again and again maps of the school and the surroundings, information on Emma MacLellan as well as on Harry Potter and Sirius Black, the procedures to follow in case of an attack on Harry and of a breaking in the school, strategies to become friend with Harry. He almost talked her into role playing with him. But she just could stop from laughing when looking at him, sporting round glasses. That was making him grumpy. So they let that idea down.

The last night, she had a surprise party from her colleagues. Everyone was nice with her and wished her to have a good time. That was fun but she was soon tired of making up stories when people asked her how she came to participate to that trip, why she was going there at all. She really wanted to drink something to make her relax a bit. She was beginning to feel nervous about the whole thing now. However, she knew it wasn't a good idea to get herself a hangover for the first day. Not with the trip on the Hogwarts Express during which Harry would be more exposed than at any other time of the term.

She left early and let Kingsley see her back to her flat. He didn't look as if intended to go so she invited him to enter, bracing herself for another everlasting session of questions and recommendations.

To her great surprise, he didn't talk about the mission at all. He asked her how she was going to stand spending all her time with much younger people for maybe quite a long stretch of time, not being able to see her family and friends very often.

"Well, I definitely think it's going to be hard, especially to have to be carefully all the time in order to avoid letting slip anything. However, Dumbledore offered me to use his fireplace if I wanted sometimes to get away for a few hours."

"As long as it stays an occasional occurence. It would look suspicious if you were seen coming in and out of his office all the time."

"Of course. I don't think I'll need to get out more than twice a months. What I'm more concerned about is how I'm going to act like a 13 years-old. I'm quite a few years from that age. Maybe they will think I'm weird. What if I don't know what to do..."

"I'm not worried about you Tonks. I don't think anybody else could do that kind of mission better than you. Not only because of your morphing ability but... you're a cool girl. I really don't doubt you'll integrate the group nicely. But about your potentially long stay there, I wanted to say that we could easily arrange to meet in Hogsmead to take a drink at the Three Broomsticks if you want, sometimes..."

That surprised her. It was really nice from him to make her that offer. But Kingsley was the type of guy who didn't tolerate weaknesses. He was hard to please and asked people with whom he worked to give the best of themselves, as he always did. He didn't tolerate complaining. So the fact that he was acknowledging the difficulty of her position and offering her some kind of help to cope with it in that way was indeed a bit weird. If she had asked it from him herself, he certainly wouldn't have been pleased. She joked:

"Yeah I'm sure Rosmerta will be thrilled to see you go out with a student from the school, Kingsley. And even more to serve me some alcohol."

He smiled.

"What I meant to say is that I'd like to meet you sometimes. I'll miss you."

He looked at her in the eyes. Then he raised his hand and passed his fingers through her hair.

"And I'll definitely miss wondering, every morning of the week, on my way to work, which colour your hair is going to be when I see you at work," he said softly and then he tilted his head and brushed his lips against her's.

She was too surprised to move. What was it that she learned in Faking, Fishing and Fencing. "When confronted to unexpected advances from a male or female individual, DON'T PANIC! Evaluate calmly the situation before acting rashly. In most real life situations, a blunt refusal won't do more harm than creating an extremely uncomfortable atmosphere. When dealing with dodgy individuals though, it could mean a painful death or worst, the failure of your mission." Althought she doubted Kingsley could be considered a dodgy individual, she still wasn't feeling like experiencing "extremely uncomfortable atmosphere" with someone she was working so closely with.

He drew back a little and looked at her. Taking her lack of evident reaction as a sign of agreement, he resumed his kissing. He pressed her softly into the cushions of the couch and parted her lips with his tongue. She didn't stop him. It was quite good actually. He obviously was putting as much care in kissing than in his work. And she liked to feel his body against her. He was warm and muscular. She had half a mind to let him make love to her. She really wanted him and who knows when she would have another occasion during the following months.

But then another excerpt from her training book called _Ethic and Diplomacy in the Fields of Spying and Auroring_ came to her mind: "Relationship between two person both working in this field of work are to avoid at all cost. It could, in case the relationship turns bad, sever the trust necessary to a good collaboration between agents in the field. More harmful can be feelings of care, affection and love in their potential of making the agent screw up the mission because of feelings of concern for his/her beloved's life or safety." Of course, she didn't really believe in that crap. But she knew Kingsley did. But he was still kissing her. Was it possible that he fancied her? She stopped him, removed his hand from the inside of her t-shirt and sit more straightly forcing him to do the same. He looked a bit surprised and disappointed.

"What was that? Do you realise you just kissed me Kingsley?" she asked him.

"Yeah I noticed it too," he tried to joke.

"But why? I mean I liked you very much Kingsley but... what about Ethic and Diplomacy?"

"Ethic and diplomacy?"

"Yeah you know: 'More harmful can be feelings of care, affection and love in their potential of making the agent screw up the mission...'"

"That's crap Tonks. Everyone knows that!"

She stared.

"All right. I usually rather think that it's not a good idea to commit into a relationship in that field. I never date anyone for the auror office..."

"Because they are all guys?"

"... because I think it is risky but I like you very much Tonks. More than I ever liked any other woman before and I think... I would be ready to risk that if it was to be with you..."

She was really touched by his words. She felt it was a great compliment to be loved by someone like Kingsley that was talented, gorgeous and nice. However, she didn't really knew what she felt about him. Could she really love him? He was the perfect guy but... There was that "but" in her head. She didn't know at all what was suppose to follow after but its presence was enough to make her think about starting a relationship with Kingsley carefully. She definitely needed time to think about it.

"I like you very much Kingsley. I really thing that you are a wonderful guy. But... I don't really know what to tell you... I don't want to get involved without thinking about it carefully, especially just before I'm going away for some time..."

"Of course I understand. That's cool. Well, I'll see you in maybe two weeks... and think about that drink in Hogsmead... good luck for tomorrow." He kissed her on the cheeks and departed.

She was relieved to see him away. She really needed to relax and finish her preparations for the day after.


	5. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Chapter five, at last. Most of this chapter had been written for a few months now. The only thing it needed was a bit of editing. The explanation for the late update can be summarized in two words: real life. But this story had been in the back of my mind all this time and I never had the intention to abandon it. I can't promise you more regular updates but I'll certainly try.

I had troubles with that chapter. I'm afraid it's not as good as I wished but I have great ideas for the rest of the story, and lots of improvements in mind.

**Chapter 5:**** Aboard the Hogwarts Express**

On the first day of the semester, Remus arrived early at King's Cross. He was happy to return to Hogwarts. Of course, he had visited the school a few times since he graduated, sometimes to visit Dumbledore, sometimes to visit Minerva McGonagall or Hagrid, but this was something entirely different. Not only would he enjoy all the advantages of a steady job, like not having to wonder each day what the next week would be like, but he would also get to spend almost a whole year at the place where he lived the happiest moments of his life. Of course, bad memories were bound to come back to him as he would have to think about the friends he spent his time at Hogwarts with, and then the reasons why they weren't with him anymore. But the fact was that this year, working in Hogwarts or not, he wouldn't be able to avoid those anyway.

Three weeks had passed since Sirius Black escaped the dreadful wizarding prison; three weeks since he learned that Harry Potter, the only other person left that was closely related to the Marauders, else than the murderer, was in mortal danger. The fact that he was a werewolf, dangerous and thus unfit to take such a place as DADA teacher at Hogwarts, wasn't important anymore. He was the person that knew Black the most, even if it was bitter thought. Dumbledore thought his presence at Hogwarts could help protect Harry. That was the most important thing. He would do anything he had to do the help protect the son of his dearest friend. As for his other little problem, many precautions had been taken, amongst them Wolfsbane potion provided by Snape himself.

So he was in front of the Hogwarts Express, the red and shiny train waiting placidely for its tumultous passengers to climb and to bring them all to school. Remus had changed a lot since he saw that train for the last time. He was old, tired, shabby. His face was lined with worry and his hair gray.

He climbed the stairs and sat at the end of the train. Only grown-up in the train, he knew he would be drawing attention to him enough. He took a book and began to read. But his eyes were closing despite his efforts. Once again, the moon had come and gone, letting himself with the familiar tiredness. He drifted to sleep.

He didn't see the children arriving, and amongst them a family of red-heads, with two different heads among them. He didn't see a few teenagers entering his compartment, engaging in a most serious conversation.

The next thing he felt, was a violent shake and then the stillness of the compartment. He opened his eyes, but could only see the dark. He could heard voices though, slightly nervous and agitated, quarelling. He was trying to gain his spirits when he felt the compartment grow colder. And the cold wasn't coming from the windows, on his right side. It seemed rather to come from the otherside, from the door. He guessed what was the cause of it.

Dementors!

Where were they? He couldn't see what was happening in the corridor. All the lights were shut. He couldn't hear anything under the quarreling.

"Silence." He asked. The effect was automatic. Surprised, they all stop the talking. He conjured flames in his hand and could see their faces, all turned toward him. He stood and went to door to check the corridor. But the door opened before he could reach it. Cold sweat drenched his back as he faced the creature. It seemed to be scanning the room. He was feeling very bad. This was crazy. To make dementors search the train, full of students having no idea how to fight them off. Dumbledore would be angry. Still for the moment, the best thing was to wait for the creature to go away. It probably wouldn't be long.

But the creature was still at the entrance of the compartment, it seemed to be distracted by something. Then, something fell of the floor with a loud thud. He understood now what the creature had been doing and he was angry against himself to have waited so long. He conjured a Patronus and the Dementor escaped.

After a few seconds, the lights opened again. Lupin looked at the boy, lying on the floor, and his heart jumped. Harry Potter! There he was. He had seen photos of the boy of course. Two years ago, the boy had made the headlines of the _Daily Prophet_ for a whole week, after a trip to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. "Harry Potter, back to our world" had stated the article, over a picture of the boy, eyeing all around him in wonder. He wasn't prepared for the shock of seeing him for real, looking exactly like James did twenty years ago.

The boy opened his eyes, they were bright green. His friends pulled him up and he began to ask questions. This shake Remus out of his shock. He conjured a huge bar of chocolate, which he cut into parts and gave to each kids. The other looked a bit pale and one of them, a girl with red hair was still shacking. He gave to her a bigger part of chocolate too. Than he escaped, wanting to check on the other children and contact the school, but also calm himself a bit.

He stepped out in the corridor. At the end of it, he could see a girl standing and looking in the opposite direction. He thought he saw some white fumes over her shoulder and the way her posture was, she seemed to hold her wand in front of her. At first, he could had sworn she had just conjured a Patronus. But it wasn't possible. He called her:

"Are you looking for something?"

She turned. She seemed to be not older than... it was hard to say... thirteen? Fifteen?... Obviously too young to be able to conjure a Patronus, although she had something strange. He didn't know what it was but she certainly wasn't like the other fifteen year old girl he had met. She had light brown hair and freckles on her nose and checks. Her eyes were also brown and she had a small cute nose. She had an average size for her age. She was a bit pale. Probably an effect of meeting some Dementors. He wondered what she was doing there alone.

When she saw him, she opened her eyes wide. She obviously was surprised to meet a grown-up in the Hogwarts Express. He approached her.

"Are you all right? Do you need something?" he asked her kindly.

"No sir. Thanks. I was just going back in my compartment."

"Then you should return quickly. Are you feeling all right?" he asked again. She really seemed a bit pale. He made conjured another bar of chocolate and gave it to her, telling her to share with her friends.

"Thanks sir." She walk down the corridor and opened a door, a few meters away from where she had been standing.

While turning back and walking down the corridor, Tonks smirked. The headmaster has played a nice little trick to the Minister. He had hired a werewolf under the ministerial nose, but not any werewolf: one that has been under their suspicion for weeks, despite Dumbledore's statement that Remus Lupin was trustworthy. She still didn't have an opinion on the possibility of his involvement in Black's escape and James and Lily Potter's murder but she could appreciate the cleverness of Dumbledore's plan, protecting both his friend from the Ministry and Harry Potter from Sirius Black (if Remus Lupin was innocent of course), all that by simply hiring a much needed DADA teacher.

Remus Lupin. If she hadn't know who he was when she met him in that awful waiting room, the night Sirius escaped, she now knew quite a lot of stuff about him. If was all part of that huge secret file in the ministry, with all information on the Potter, Black and all that was related to them both. Werewolf since the age of five, close friend with the Potters and the infamous Sirius Black until that fateful night the couple was killed, current statut of danger according to the werewolf registry. By the only fact that he was a werewolf, he seemed to be linked with the dark side. But there has never been a hint that he was.


End file.
